The Mech of Notre Dame
by whiteflower122
Summary: A TFA version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
1. Chapter 1

**The Mech of Notre Dame**

In the city of Paris, France, whether you are up in the sky or on the ground at a far away distance, you can still see and hear the large cathedral that is Notre Dame. Just outside the cathedral in a small cart was a mech known as Starscream. He was singing about the bells of Notre Dame and how everything around Paris had to do with them. As he continued to sing, he started to attach a group of young bots around his cart.

"Listen, they are beautiful, no?" He asked "So many colors of sounds, so many changing moods." The young mechs and femmes looked at him curiously as he continued "Because you know, they don't ring all by themselves."

To add a bit of humor, he pulled out a small puppet of himself and made it sound like it was talking by asking in a squeaky voice "They don't?"

"No, you silly mech." Starscream answered the puppet before pulling back one of the curtains of his cart "Up there, high, high in the dark bell tower… is the myserterious bell ringer."

The next few questions involved Starscream asking the children while the puppet sort of repeated his questions back to him.

"Who is the creature?"

"Who?"

"What is he?"

"What?"

"How did he come to be there?"

"How?"

"Hush," Starscream hit the puppet on the head causing the children to laugh "I'll tell you." Starscream dropped his voice to a darker tone "It is the tale of a mech and a monster."

…

**Over 25,000 Stellar Cycles ago…**

On a dark and cold winter night near the tower of Notre Dame, three gypsies, two mechs and a femme carrying a sparkling were riding a boat down the river.

"Shut it up will you!" Said the first mech to the femme when the sparkling started to cry

"We'll be spotted!" added the second mech

"Hush, little one." The femme said to the sparkling calmly

As they came to dock, they got off, the boat rower turned to them "Four credits for safe passage to the palace."

But suddenly an arrow was shot and landed right on the pole the rower used to row the boat. They all turned to see guards coming towards them, making them realize that they had fallen into a trap. The guards surrounded them, preventing all manner of escape. Just then a figure riding on a cyber-horse stepped out of his place in the shadows. The three gypsies looked at him in horror.

"Judge Megatron." The first mech said in fear

Anyone who knew Megatron knew that his life's goal was to purge the entire world of monsters and sin. And the kind of people he hated the most were the gypsies, he saw them as the devil's helpers. He saw corruption everywhere expect he never bothered to look within someone.

The femme stayed close towards the mech who appeared to be her mate until one the guards grabbed him along with the second mech and the boat rower and chained them together.

"Bring these gypsy vermin to the Palace of Justice." Megatron ordered

The femme watched as her mate was dragged away, but continued to hold her sparkling until one of the guards grabbed her "You there, what are you hiding?"

"Stolen goods, no doubt." Megatron accused "Take them from her."

The femme managed to pull out of the guards grip and then proceeded to try and get away. Megatron ordered his men to take the prisoners to the palace while he set off to chase after the femme. The femme ran down the empty streets of Paris, she looked behind her to see Megatron coming after her. She quickly made a sharp turn up some stairs, but it only caused Megatron to pause for a moment before following her once more. She could still hear the sounds of the cyber-horse's hoofs getting closer to her, so she pushed herself harder then ever.

The femme saw a fence and quickly hopped over it. Megatron stopped, knowing his horse couldn't jump over the fence so he simply took a different route. The femme ran until she came upon Notre Dame itself. She ran up the stairs and pounded her fist on the door while pleading "Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary!"

She gasped as she turn to see Megatron heading her way again, she tried to run, but this time Megatron caught a hold of the cloth that covered the sparkling and started to pull it away from her. The femme clutched her sparkling for dear life, but Megatron kicked her hard enough to make let go causing the femme to hit her head against the stairs and die. Megatron noticed that the thing he was holding was starting to cry "A sparkling?" He pulled back a bit of the cloth to look more closely at the sparkling, he gasped and his optics widened "A monster!"

Megatron covered its face again and looked around until he noticed a well not too far from him. He made his horse walk over to it and held the cloth with the sparkling in it, ready to drop it into the water till-

"Stop!" Megatron turned to see it was the preacher known as Ultra Magnus

"This is a holy demon." Megatron explained "I'm sending it back to the pit where it belongs."

Ultra Magnus carefully picked up the dead femme on the stair and placed her on his lap "Don't you see the innocent blood you have spilt on the steps of Notre Dame?"

Megaton huffed as he pulled the sparkling away from the well and rode up to Ultra Magnus "I am guiltless, she ran, I pursued."

"Now you're only adding this trail of blood to your guilt on the steps of Notre Dame."

Megatron glared at Ultra Magnus "My conscience is clear-."

"You may be able to lie to yourself and your minions, you can continue to claim that you haven't done anything at all," Ultra Magnus interrupted "But you'll never be able to run or hide what you done from the eyes…the eyes of Notre Dame."

Megatron looked to see that Ultra Magnus was pointing to all the statues that surrounded the large cathedral, he felt his blood run cold as no matter where he looked it seemed as through the statues were all looking at him, like they all saw what he did. The one that frightened him the most was the statue of Primus. It was so unnerving, he couldn't stand it.

"What can I do?" Megatron asked somewhat desperately

Ultra Magnus had gotten up along with the dead femme in his arms "Care for the child and raise it as your own."

"What!" Megatron protested, his voice full of disgust "I'm to care for this horrific" He sighed in defeat "Very well…but let him live with you in your church."

"Live here? Where?"

"Anywhere…" Megatron looked up at the tallest towers of Notre Dame, they could the perfect place to hide the child, and somewhere no one would look for him "The bell tower perhaps and who knows Primus works in mysterious ways." Megatron looked at the sparkling again "Even this foul creature may yet prove one day to be…of use to me."

…

The children gasped as Starscream appeared under a dark cloak "And Megatron named the sparkling, Bulkhead and over the last 25,000 Stellar cycles, he took care of him. Keeping him up in the bell tower from a world that doesn't understand him and a way for Megatron to hide his shame." Starscream paused before continuing "But the real question…is that between the two mechs…which one is the mech and which one is the monster?"

…

Over the last 25,000 stellar cycles, the mech known as Bulkhead remained in the tower for reasons his master, Megatron never really told him, but he didn't mind. Bulkhead had grown into a very tall and large mech with green armor and bright blue optics. Thought some could consider him to look somewhat menacing, he was really gentle giant and despite his large size, he could move quite quickly throughout the towers of Notre Dame, which was a good thing considering how many bells he had to ring each day.

Today was no different; he had already finished ringing the bells so he decided to head out towards the balcony. He turned to where a bird had formed its nest into the mouth of one of the gargoyle statues that sat on the railing of the balcony. Inside the next was a small baby bird.

"Good, morning." Bulkhead said cheerfully to the bird. The little bird poked its head out and chirped a 'Good morning' as well. "So want do you think little buddy, you ready to fly?" The bird gave a chirp as if saying "I don't know." Bulkhead tried to encourage the bird "You sure? It's a good day to try." Bulkhead picked the bird carefully up into his large servos "If I picked a day to fly, this would be it, the festival of fools." He lowered the bird a bit to show him the view below, but it only gulped as it saw it was a long way down from where it was. It looked at Bulkhead with uncertainty as Bulkhead explained what happened during the festival "It will be fun with jugglers and music and dancing."

As he was talking the bird started to flap its wings and lift itself off of his servos. Bulkhead then pulled his servos away and showed the bird it was flying on its own. The bird let itself drop back into it servos just as some more birds flew past them. The little bird chirped excitedly at them, Bulkhead lightly petted its head "Go on little buddy. No bot wants to stay cooped up here forever." The bird chirped again as to say "Thank you." And then flew out of his servo as Bulkhead watched somewhat sadly until-

"Yuck, ugh…finally, I thought it never leave! I'll be spitting out feathers for a week." Bulkhead turned to see it was Ironhide, one of the gargoyles talking. Not many people knew that Ironhide along with two other gargoyles could talk and move when they wanted to, but they usually kept it a secret unless it was someone they could trust.

"Well, that what you get for recharging with your mouth open." The second gargoyle named Rodimus Prime says

"So Bulky, what's going on down there?" Ironhide asked as he scooted closer to the green mech

"It's the festival of fools, Ironhide. What else would it be?" Rodimus says annoyed before commenting "It's nice to watch the townsfolk during this time of year."

"Yeah, watching." Bulkhead replies sadly before walking away

"Hey, what wrong, Bulkhead? Don't you want to watch the festival with us?" Ironhide asks. Bulkhead doesn't answer, he just walks away. "What's wrong with him?"

"Maybe he's not feeling well." Rodimus suggested

"Oh, please." A much more feminine voice comment, the two mech gargoyles turn to see the final gargoyle, a femme named Red Alert, coming towards them "If 25,000 Stellar cycles with you two hasn't made him sick, then nothing will."

"But watching the festival of fools has always been the highlight for Bulkhead." Rodimus points out

Red Alert rolls her optics at them while shaking off the pigeons that had landed on her overnight "What good is watching the party, if you never get to go to it?" With that the three gargoyles go back inside and follow after their friend.

…

Bulkhead climbed up the steps to his own private work area. On a large table, he had made an entire miniature scale of Notre Dame and the village around it. He had also made some small metal figurines of the people he had seen while looking down at the town. He sat down in his chair and sighed sadly. The three gargoyles looked at their friend with concern till Red Alert came up to him.

"Bulkhead, what's wrong?" She asked, placing a hand on his shoulder "You know you can tell me anything."

Bulkhead shrugged "I…I just don't feel like watching the festival."

Red Alert examined one of the small figurines "Well…did you ever think about going there instead?"

Bulkhead nodded "Yeah, but…I just wouldn't fit in there. I'm not…normal."

"Come on, Bulkhead." Ironhide picks up the metal figurine that looks like him "I'm sure there some way we could get you in there."

"Besides as your friends and guardians," Rodimus says proudly "We insist you attend the festival."

"It will be a good experience for you to get out there and look around." Red Alert adds

"Guys," Bulkhead interrupts "I really appreciate what you're trying to do, but you're forgetting one thing."

"What?" The three gargoyles ask in unison

Bulkhead picks up a black and grey figurine behind him "My master, Megatron."

The three gargoyles faces fell as they were suddenly reminded of something they forgot.

"Well, when he said you're forbidden to leave the bell tower…does he mean like ever, ever?" asked Rodimus

"Never, ever and he hates the festival of fools." Replies Bulkhead "He would be really upset if I asked him to go."

Ironhide smiles devilishly "Who says you got to ask?'

Bulkhead immediately understood what he meant "Oh, no I couldn't do that."

"Oh, come on it's simple you just sneak out and then sneak right back in."

"Besides it just for one afternoon and he'll never even know that you're gone." Red Alert encourages

"But what if I get caught?"

"So wear a disguise," Rodimus pulls out a very large cloak, big enough that it would hide Bulkhead's form "What Megatron doesn't know can't hurt you."

Red Alert then adds "Besides it's like you said, no bot wants to stay cooped up here forever."

Bulkhead started to feel a bit more confident, maybe, just maybe he really could pull this off without his master knowing "You guys are right, I'll go. I'll clean myself up, go down the stairs, march through those doors and-."

"Good, morning Bulkhead." The green mech jumped as he was now staring at the face of his master, Megatron.

"Uh…good, morning, master." He stammered

"My dear mech, who in Primus name were you talking to?" Megatron asked

Bulkhead wasn't sure how to answer so he lowers his head and simply said "My…uh…friends."

Megatron eyed him carefully, the only thing that was in the room before he entered were three gargoyle statues. Megatron taps his finger on Rodimus's stone head "And what are your friends made of Bulkhead?"

"…Stone."

Megatron lifts Bulkhead's chin to make him look at his face "Can stone talk?"

"No it can't." came a soft reply from the green mech

"That right, you're a very smart mech." Megatron came closer and sat down at the small table "Now, why don't we have some lunch?" Bulkhead went to the other side of the room and got some cups and plates and then set them of the table. "Shall we review your alphabet today?"

"Yes, master, I would like that very much." Bulkhead said in a polite tone

"Very well then." Megatron starts to pour some energon into their cups "A." They continued for a little bit and for a while Bulkhead was doing well at least till after the letter "E" and then-

"Good, 'F'." Megatron starts to take a sip of his energon

Without thinking Bulkhead replies "Festival."

Bulkhead jumps as he hears Megatron cough as he nearly choked on his drink "Excuse, me?"

Bulkhead quickly tries to correct his error "Uh…I meant forgiveness."

"You said festival."

"No!" Bulkhead tries to hide his face from his mistake

"You're thinking about going to the festival." Megatron gets up off his seat and starts to head back towards the stairs

Bulkhead follows him while trying to explain himself "It just…that you go every year-."

"I am a public official, I must go." Megatron interrupts "But I don't enjoy a moment of it."

As they head outside, Bulkhead apologizes "I'm sorry, master. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Just try to understand," Megatron started "When your sparkless mother abandoned you as a sparkling…anyone else would have gotten rid of you." He watches in satfication as Bulkhead's head dropped as he brought his lie "This is the thanks I get for taking you in and raising you as my son?"

Bulkhead keeps his head down "I'm sorry, sir."

"My dear, Bulkhead…" Megatron places a servo on his shoulder "You don't know what's it's like out there…the world is cold and cruel, I am your only true friend, but I can't protect you unless you stay here in the bell tower."

They went back inside and Megatron placed a basket of food on Bulkhead's scale of the city.

"You're very good for me, master…I'm sorry."

Megatron headed towards the stairs "You are forgiven. But remember, Bulkhead…this is your sanctuary."

With that Megatron takes his leave, leaving Bulkhead to his thoughts. He knew his master was right, as long as he stay in the bell tower he would be safe. But still he wanted more then that. Everyday he would watch the people down below, secretly wishing that they would let him join them in their conversations. He wished just for one day, he wouldn't have to live his life above them, but down below and a part of them. Only then would he feel truly content with himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Mech of Notre Dame**

Meanwhile down in the town below, a red and blue mech named Optimus Prime along with his white cyber-horse, Starchaser were wandering around the city. But as Optimus was looking at the map he was holding, he was convinced that it wasn't doing him any good.

Looking around at the buildings in confusion, he crumpled up the map and threw it away "Ah, Starchaser…you leave the city for a few stellar cycles and they go off and change everything."

He saw two guards passing by him, so he decided to see if they could help him "Excuse me; I'm looking to the Palace of Justice, would you-." They didn't really pay attention to him "I guess not."

Optimus continued down the street till he started to hear music. As he turned the corner he saw an older mech playing a small trumpet like object, a yellow and black goat galloping around a small purple hat and a young femme playing a tambourine. Optimus tossed in a few credits into the hat before looking up and getting a good look at the femme playing the tambourine. As she turned around he saw that she had long dark organic-like hair, with dark metal skin and navy blue armor over top of it. She had to most beautiful aquamarine optics he ever seen.

Realizing he was probably staring, Optimus snapped out of his daze and smiled politely at her. She smiled back at him, looking him over with curiosity and interest before hitting her servo on her tambourine. Just then the sound of someone whistling came from above them, the femme gasped and started to head in one direction while her goat was picking up the hat, but as he ran the credits spilled all over. The goat made a noise to get the femme attention so she ran back and quickly tried to scoop the credits back into the hat. Then Optimus noticed that the two guards that he had tried to ask for help earlier stepped in front of her.

"Alright, gypsy. Where you get those credits?" Asked the first guard

"For your information, I earned it." The femme said truthfully

"Gypsies don't earn credits…"

The femme gasped as the second guard grabbed her arms from behind "They steal it."

"You two would know a lot about stealing." She said accuses

The first guard tried to grab the hat, but the femme grabs it back "Troublemaker, huh?" He gets out before she lifts her pede up high enough to kick him in the face.

"Maybe some time in the stocks will cool you down." The second guard comments

The yellow and black goat gets a little mad at the guards, so he head butts the second guard in the stomach and kicks the first one in the stomach as well, giving him and the femme enough time to run away in the other direction. Optimus watches her leave and notices the guards were getting back up and starting to go after them. He quickly grabs Starchaser's reins and pulls him out in front so that the two guards ran into him. As the first guard falls down, Optimus gives his cyber-horse an order "Starchaser, sit."

Starchaser does as he was told and ends up sitting on top to the guard. Optimus then pretends to be sorry for what he did "Oh, I'm so sorry…naughty horse, naughty," He scolds at Starchaser before turning back to the guard "He's just impossible, I can't take him anywhere."

"Get this thing off of me!" The guard under Starchaser cried out to the second guard

"I'll teach you a lesson peasant." The second guard pulls out a dagger

Optimus pulls out his axe from the subspace of his back "You were saying, lieutenant?"

The guard soon realizes who he is "Oh, Optimus Prime!" The guard drops his dagger and salutes to him "At your service, sir."

Optimus brings his axe down close to the first guard's face "I know you probably have a lot on your processer right now, but the Palace of Justice…?"

Starchaser got off the guard and then both of the soldiers proceed to lead Optimus to his destination. Along the way, Optimus spots some credits on the ground so he picked them up, noticing that sitting not too far away from him appeared to be a beggar, smoking a pipe and wearing a purple cloak with a hat on the ground nearby. As he passes, Optimus places the credits into the hat. After he left, the hood of the cloak was pulled off by the person wearing it, relieving it to be the dark-haired gypsy from before along with her goat.

"You think he knew it was us, Bumblebee?" The femme asked the goat

Bumblebee simply made a noise that could have been translated to "I'm not sure, Jena."

Jena placed Bumblebee back on the ground, since he had been the head of her whole disguise, gathered up her things and then went off to look for her friend that had ran off earlier.

…

Optimus wasn't entirely sure what to think about the Palace of Justice, it didn't really look like a palace; it looked more like a prison or a torture chamber. Torture chamber came to mind for when he was opening the door, he heard the sound of a whip cracking. That's when he saw Megatron talking to a mech holding a whip.

Megatron then turned to him "Ah, so this is the gallant Optimus Prime, home from the wars."

Optimus stood to attention "Reporting for duty as ordered, sir."

"Your service record precedes you, Optimus." Megatron says as he circles him "I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."

Optimus nods "And you shall have it, sir. I can guarantee it."

"Yes…you know my last captain of the guards was…a bit of a disappointment." As he finished that statement, there was a sound a large whip cracking followed by a loud yell of pain. "Well no matter. I'm sure you'll '_whip_' my men to shape."

Optimus still a little nervous about what he just heard, stammered his response "Uh…yes…it's a gre-…tremendous honor, sir."

Megatron leads Optimus outside "You've come to Paris in her darkest hour, captain. It will take a firm servo to save the weak minded from be so easily mislead."

Optimus cocks an optical ridge "Mislead, sir?"

"Look, captain." Megatron gestures with a wave of his servo to the town below "Gypsies…the gypsies live outside the moral order, their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts. They must be stopped."

Optimus looks at him with a puzzled look "I was summoned from the wars…to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?"

"The really war, Optimus is what you see before you. For 25,000 stellar cycles I've been…'_taking care' _of the gypsies. One by one." Megatron demonstrates his point by smashing three ants with his fingers "And yet for all my success…they have thrived." He lifts up a loose stone panel, relieving many more ants underneath it. "I believe that they have a safe haven within walls of this very city…a nest if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles."

"And what are we going to do about it, sir?" When Optimus asked that, Megatron places the stone panel back on top of the ant conley, thereby killing them all "You make your point quite vividly, sir."

Megatron smiles and places a servo on his shoulder "You know I like you, captain. Shall we?" Just then a large cheer from below could be heard causing Megatron to groan "Oh, duty calls." He turns to Optimus "Have you ever attended a peasant festival, captain?"

Optimus shakes his head "Not recently, sir."

"Then this should be quite an education for you then."

…

Near the ledges of the Notre Dame cathedral, Bulkhead, wearing a large cloak, was climbing down one of the statues before he looked down at the festival below him as the crowd started to sing. Bulkhead turned his head back and looked up to see his friend, cheering him to have a good time. Bulkhead smiled at them before grabbing onto the one of the large ropes and sliding down it, but when he tired to look from the pole he had landed on, the rope came untied and he ended up landing in the middle of the opening where everyone else was standing. He pulled back his hood a bit to see-

_The feast of…_

Starscream came out from under the coat of one of the mechs, shouting "Fools!" He laughed as the crowd cheered while showering him with confetti. Then he started to sing…

_Once a year, we throw a party here in town_

_Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down_

_Every man is a king and every king a clown_

A mech dressed as a king came out before he flipped over and suddenly turned into a jester.

_Once again it's Topsy Turvy Day_

Starscream seemed to notice Bulkhead in the crowd so with a mischievous look in his optics, he followed after him. Bulkhead tried to hide from him by putting some balloons in front of his face, but Starscream simply cut them away with a qiuck swipe of his sharp servos.

_It's a day when the devil in us gets released_

Bulkhead ran into one of the tents nearby only for the curtain to be pulled back to reveal him to a group of children before a puppet of Megatron came out and lightly hit him on the head. Then the puppeteer turned out to be Starscream, so Bulkhead once again ran to get away.

_It's a day we mock the prig and chant their priest_

_Everything is topsy turvy at the feast of fools_

_**Crowd:**__ Topsy Turvy!_

_Everything is upsy daisy_

_**Crowd: **__Topsy Turvy_

Bulkhead watched in surprise when he saw a group of dogs walking some mechs on leashes with bones in their mouths and even in more surprise when he saw a mech with a costume that had two behinds of a horse carrying arrows pointing left and right.

_Everybody acting crazy_

_Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet_

Bulkhead watched as people were wearing all kinds of different costumes and masks before running into another tent only to be carried out by a group of femmes dancing with Starscream at the end.

_That's the way of Topsy Turvy Day_

When they danced into a different tent, Bulkhead stumbled out and fell into another tent, he tried to grab a part of it for balance, but it just ripped off, revealing Jena inside.

"Hey!" She cried out before asking "Are you alright?"

Bulkhead pulled off the fallen curtain that was on top of him and then apologized while trying to hide who his was "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…I'm so sorry."

Jena came up to him "You're not hurt are you?" Jena gently reached out to pull the hood off "Here let's see."

"No, don't!" Bulkhead's protest came too late as she pulled his hood off to see his face

"There," she said, not hearing Bumblebee made a noise when he saw Bulkhead's face "See no harm done." Bulkhead didn't say anything he was so mesmerized by how beautiful the femme before him was. He allowed her to help him stand back up and walk towards the exit "Just try to be a little more careful next time, okay?"

"I…I will." He stammered

"By the way, great costume." Jena compliments, flashing him a smile before closing her tent up again. Bulkhead smiles with a dreamy look on his face before turning his attention back to what was going around him.

_**Crowd: **__Topsy Turvy_

_Beat the drums and blow the trumpets_

**Crowd: **_Topsy Turvy_

_**Starscream and the crowd: **__Join the bums and thieves and strumpets_

_Streaming in from Chartres to Calais_

Just then Megatron's carriage approached with Optimus giving the orders to the guards to go to their directed posts.

_Scurvy knaves are extra curry_

_On the sixth of January_

_**Starscream and the crowd: **__All because it's Topsy Turvy Day_

_Come one, come all_

Megatron stepped out of his carriage and sat down in his seat only to have Starscream suddenly popped up by his side

_Hurry, hurry here's your chance_

_See the mystery and romance_

Starscream nudges him before leaving, but Megatron just rolls his optics and brushes off the bit of confetti that had landed on his arm.

_Come one, come all_

_See the finest femme in France_

Starscream grabs Bulkhead's arm and pulls him closer to the stage. Starscream then jumps onto the stage.

_Make an entrance to entrance_

_Dance la Jena!_

As Starscream finishes his last note, he drops a smoke bomb at his pedes and then disappears only to have Jena suddenly appear in the swirl of smoke, carrying her tambourine while wearing a dark blue dress with a sliver tiara on her head and matching bracelets on her wrists and ankles. Bulkhead and everyone else look in shock of how Jena just appeared on stage in such a beautiful dress, even Megatron was looking at her in shock. Jena puts down her tambourine and then starts dance seductively on stage before pulling out a sliver silk scarf that seem to come out from behind her, earning some wolf whistles from the crowd.

"Look at that disgusting display." Megatron says with much annoyance in his voice

"Yes, sir." Optimus wasn't really paying attention for he too was bewitched by the femme dancing of the stage

Jena shoots Megatron a coy smile before jumping off the stage and coming towards his seat. Megatron nearly jumps as the femme sits on the armrest of his chair before placing her scarf around his neck. She pulls his face closer while lightly stroking face, for a spilt moment, Megatron thought she was going to try and kiss him. But just as her lips were a mere inch away from his…Jena shoves herself off of him playfully before going back onto the stage. Irritated at himself for falling into such a trap, Megatron scowls at her before ripping her scarf off his neck.

Upon returning to the stage, Jena flairs her dress up a bit as the music she dances to starts to pick up the tempo. She twirls around backwards before doing a cartwheel and then lands into the splits. As she puts her head back up, Jena shoots a flirty wink at Bulkhead, who duck his head under his cloak to hide his embarrassment. Jena then grabs one of the guard's spears and then jabs it into the center of the stage. She swings herself around it, lifting up one leg as she starts to slow down, then finally with a flip of her long dark hair; she smiles at the crowd as she comes to a stop, the music coming to an end. Everyone cheers while throwing some credits at her, even Optimus throws some in, while Bulkhead smiles and claps in approval.

"Now femmes and gentle-mechs, it's time for the piece de resistance." Starscream announced

Bulkhead listened as Starscream started to sing something about crowning the king of fools. Apparently, people would come onto the stage and whoever made the ugliest face would win. He noticed that Jena reached out for him, so he took her servo and let her pull him onto the stage before making him stand in line with the others on the stage. Jena then started to remove people's masks or costumes and when she did they would try to make the scariest face possible. But no one obviously made a scary enough face, for the crowd would boo before Bumblebee would come and head butt them off the stage. Finally, it was Bulkhead's turn, but when Jena came to pull of his costume, she gasped as she realized she couldn't. Some of the crowd gasped and screamed as well in realization.

"That's not a costume, it's his body!"

"It's horrible!"

"It's the bell ringer from Notre Dame!" Megatron got off his seat at the sound of that statement.

With everyone looking at him in horror, Bulkhead tried to bury his face into his servos to hide his shame.

"Femmes and gentle-mechs don't panic." Starscream reassured "We asked for the ugliest mech in Paris and here he is!" Starscream pulled out a king like crown and placed in on the green mech's head "Bulkhead, the bell ringer of Notre Dame!"

Everyone cheered and lead Bulkhead to a chair where, with some difficultly, they managed to pick the chair up. As they were walking, Bulkhead saw Megatron so he sheepishly smiled and waved at him, but Megatron just simply looked at him with a very angry expression. Once Bulkhead got onto a different stage, Starscream placed a large cape on his shoulders and gave him a small staff while singing…

_And we pick a king who puts the top in_

_Topsy Turvy_

_Tospsy Turvy_

_Mad and crazy, upsy daisy, Topsy Turvy Day!_

Bulkhead smiled as everyone cheered and shouted his name while throwing confetti and flowers at him. He felt it was the happiest day of his function, little did Bulkhead know that it was about to come to an end…


	3. Chapter 3

**The Mech of Notre Dame**

**Author's notes:** I so sorry it's been a long time since I last updated this story. I just been really busy lately with college and all that. I promise I try to update the next chapter a little quicker.

…

As everyone cheered and chanted Bulkhead's name, throwing flowers and confetti, the two guards that had helped Optimus find the Palace of Justice this morning were talking to one another.

"Think he's ugly now, huh? Watch this." The guard pulled his arm back and then threw a rotten tomato right at Bulkhead's face. Bulkhead let out a grunt of surprise before lifting his servo up to wipe off the disgusting juices off his face. Most of the crowd gasped in shock of what just happened. "Now that's ugly!"

"Hail to the king!" Another guard said mockingly before another rotten tomato at Bulkhead's face

Soon it started to turn into a domino effect, all the guards and even some of the crowd began to throw rotten food at Bulkhead. The green mech tried to avoid the food coming at him, but he slipped and fell down causing the crowd the laugh. Bulkhead knew he had to get away; he quickly got back up and tried to leave.

"Where are you going bell ringer? The fun just getting started!" Said one mech, he twirled a rope and then tossed it so that it went over Bulkhead's head and around his neck, forcing him to fall down.

Another rope soon came up and around Bulkhead's wrist, pinning his arm down to the ground. As everyone continued to laugh, something inside Bulkhead snapped. He got back up and tried to pull the rope off his neck while trying to get his wrist free as well. Everyone soon started to throw more ropes at Bulkhead and tug on them until eventually Bulkhead had no choice but to fall down again. Two mechs quickly tied him down to the pillory and then started to spin it.

As Bulkhead was spun on it, the crowd continued with throwing rotten food at him.

"Master! Master, please, help me!" Bulkhead pleaded to Megatron, but the grey mech simply looked away with an uncaring expression.

When the pillory came to a stop, the crowd continued to throw food at Bulkhead until Optimus finally asked "Sir, request permission to stop this cruelty?"

"In a moment, Captain." Megatron smiled almost cruelly "There's a lesson that needs to be learned here."

Suddenly there came surprised gasps from the crowd. Megatron and Optimus turned there attention back to the stage to see what was happening. It turns out that Jena was slowly making her way up the steps. She had came out of her tent after she was done taking off her dress and when she got out, she saw the crowd throwing food at Bulkhead. Jena had managed to push her away into the crowd and onto the stage. When she got on, Jena approached Bulkhead's form slowly, a sympathetic look in her optics. Jena bent down next to Bulkhead holding onto a towel that she had gotten from her tent before coming to the stage.

"Don't be afraid." Jena said in a calming voice, but Bulkhead ducked his head down and flinches a little. That made Jena almost frown, did he think she was going to hurt him too? "I'm so sorry," Bulkhead looked up at her again "This wasn't supposes to happen."

Jena gently proceeded with wiping off some of the gunk on Bulkhead's face till Megatron's voice called out "You, gypsy femme, get down there at once!"

"Yes, your honor. Just as soon as free this poor creature."

"I forbid it!"

Jena glared at Megatron, pulled a knife out from a secret compartment in her leg and then in one clean sweep, freed the green mech from his bindings causing some of the crowd to gasp at her.

"How dare you defy me!" said Megatron menacingly

"You mistreat his poor mech the same way you mistreat my people. You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those most in need of your help." Protested Jena, her fists now clenching in fury

"Silence!" Yelled Megatron

"Justice!" Snapped Jena, not missing a beat, throwing her fist into the air

Everyone looked at Jena with disbelief, how is it that she could stand up to Megatron like that and not be afraid? Jena turned her attention back to Bulkhead; she took a hold of his arm and helped him back onto his pedes.

Megatron glared at her with as much evil he could muster "Mark my words, gypsy. You will pay for this insolence."

"Then it appears we have crowned the wrong fool," Jena resorted taking the floppy jester crown off Bulkhead's head "The only fool I see, is YOU!" She shouted and then threw the crown towards Megatron, which landed a few feet away from him.

"Captain Optimus, arrest her!" Megatron ordered

Optimus snapped his fingers and motioned the guards to move in and capture her. Jena started to count off the number of guards around her "Let's see, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine…so there's ten of you and one of me. What's a poor fembot to do?" Jena pulled out a handkerchief and pretended to cry into it. Just then Jena faked sneezing into it and just like that she disappeared off the stage in a puff of smoke.

"Witchcraft!" Megatron said in disbelief

"Oh, boys, over here." Everyone turned to see that Jena along with Bumblebee had ended up on another stage, showing only their faces next to some other masks. Jena was smiling while batting her optics in mockingly innocent way.

"There she is."

"Get her!"

Jena saw the guards coming, so she and Bumblebee ran to the end of the stage and then jumped off of it only to be crowd surfed away from them. The guards attempted the same thing, but the crowd moved away and let them fall to the ground. For a least a few minutes, Jena managed to skillfully outwit the guards whenever they tried to capture her.

Three more guards on their horses came towards Jena, so she simply threw a guard's hat she found on the ground like it was a Frisbee, hitting all three of the guards and causing them to fall off their horses.

Optimus ducked as the hat hit the pole right where his head had been a moment ago "What a femme!"

A neigh was sounded off and Jena saw two more guards coming towards her. As she and Bumblebee were running, a slit walker whistled before dropping a long pole to the guards. The guards caught it, but it was too late as the pole came in contact to where Megatron was sitting, he quickly ducked, but the rest of the tent fall down on him. Megatron detangled himself from the sheets of the tent, fuming in anger.

Two more of the slit walkers helped Jena and Bumblebee onto the roof of one stage before Jena twirled around a large piece of cloth and covered Bumblebee and herself in it. When one of the slit walkers pulled it up, it revealed that both Jena and Bumblebee had disappeared into thin air.

Megatron straightened himself up before turning back to the stage towards Bulkhead, shooting him an angry glare before getting on his cyber-horse; he turned to Optimus "Find her, Captain. I want her alive."

"Yes, sir," Optimus nods before calling out "Seal off the area, men. Find the gypsy femme and do not harm her."

Megatron rode himself up to the stage were Bulkhead still stood. The green mech looked up at him only to have the grey mech shoot him a disapproving look.

"I'm so sorry, Master," Bulkhead said softly, a tear escaping his optic "I'll never disobey you again."

It started to rain as Bulkhead got off the stage and the crowd formed a pathway for him to return to Notre Dame. Bulkhead stumbled up the stairs as he walked into the cathedral, he started to close the door, and the green mech paused for only a moment before shutting the door completely.

…

As the rain continued to fall, Optimus watched as a beggar in a purple cloak passed him. He could have swore for a moment he saw a flash of yellow and black underneath the cloak and decided to follow after the figure as they entered Notre Dame.

The figure that entered the cathedral as actually Jena and Bumblebee, they came into Notre Dame to take shelter from the storm. Jena allowed Bumblebee to jump off her shoulders once they were inside and sure they were safe. Jena couldn't help but look in awe at large structures and stained glass windows of the building. She felt a feeling of serenity come over her.

But what she didn't hear was the door opening and didn't see Optimus step inside and come up behind her. Optimus was just about to touch her shoulder when Jena suddenly flipped him over her shoulder and stole his axe out of the subspace in his back.

"You…" Jena said angrily, holding his axe threatingly

Optimus backed away from her till his back came in contact with one of the pillars of the cathedral "Just calm down, I just want to apologize."

"For what?"

Optimus grabbed his axe from her hand as he kicked her pedes causing her to fall to the ground "That for example."

Jena glared at him "You sneaky, son of a-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Optimus cuts her off as he stands back up "Watch it we're in a church."

Jena gets back up and grabs one the candle stands "Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?"

She swings the candle stand at Optimus, who quickly blocks it with his axe. This goes on for a little while before Optimus comments "You fight almost as well as a mech."

"Funny I was going to say the same thing about you." Jena says mockingly

"That hitting a little bit below the belt don't you think?"

Jena gives him a devious look "No…this is."

Jena aims the candle holder below and as she figured, Optimus blocked the blow with his axe, but then Jena lifted up the end of the candle holder and hit him in the face, leaving Optimus slightly dazed.

"Touché," Optimus lets out a pained grunt as Bumblebee head butted him in the stomach "I didn't know you have a kid."

"Well he doesn't take kindly to soldiers."

"Yes, I noticed. Uh…by the way my name is Optimus." Jena and Bumblebee just look at each other "And you are?"

"Is this interrogation?" Jena asked

Optimus placed his axe back into its subspace "It's called an introduction."

Jena looked at him surprisingly "You're not arresting me?'

"Not as long as you're in here, I can't."

"Huh," Jena looks him over a little before placing the candle holder back "You're not at all like the other soldiers."

"Thank you."

"So…if you're not going to arrest me…then what do you want?"

"I settle for your name."

The blue femme smiled a little "My name is Jena."

Optimus smiled back "It's nice to meet you, Jena."

The two of them just seemed to stand there for a moment, seeming just to enjoy the others company till the sound of the door of the cathedral was being opened again.

"Good work, Captain." Megatron voice boomed throughout the entire cathedral, a few guards were behind him "Now, arrest her."

"Claim sanctuary!" Optimus whispered franticly to Jena, who just narrowed her optics at him "Say it!"

"You tricked me!" Jena accused angrily

"I'm waiting, Captain." Megatron's tone was laced with impatience

"I'm sorry, sir. She's claimed sanctuary. There's nothing I can do." Optimus says quickly causing Jena to look at him in slight surprise.

"Then drag her outside and-." Megatron started to say, but then he was cut off by Ultra Magnus

"Megatron! You will not touch her!" The elderly blue and white mech comes up and places a servo on Jena's shoulder "Don't worry, my dear. Minster Megatron learned stellar cycles ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

Megatron glares at Ultra Magnus, grinding his teeth together. With a wave of his arm, Megatron motioned his guards to leave and he starts to follow close behind them, but when no one was looking, he quickly hide himself behind one of the marble pillars.

Ultra Magnus grabs Optimus's arm and proceed to escorts him out, but not before Bumblebee came up and started head butting Optimus in the back "Alright, alright, I'm going!"

Jena watched the scene with a bit of a smile on her face, but let out a gasp and then a groan as her arm was suddenly twisted behind her back.

"You think you've outwitted me," Megatron whispered into her audio. Jena jerked her face away from his at the sudden proximity, only to have Megatron move his face closer to hers again "But I'm a patient mech and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls." Jena moved her head again causing her hair to be put in front of Megatron's face. He couldn't resist burying his face into to inhale some of her scent.

"What are you doing?" Jena asked bitterly, knowing fully well what he was doing

"I was just imaging a rope…" Jena felt Megatron's fingertips caress her throat "Around that beautiful neck."

Disgusted, Jena elbowed him as hard as she could, freeing herself from his grip before she spun around to face him "I know what you're imaging!" she hissed

"Such a clever witch you are. So typically of your kind to twist the truth, to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts!" Megatron accused sharply. Jena only looked at him in confusion. "Well no matter," Megatron started to make his way towards the exit, saying over his shoulder "You've chosen a magficent prison, but it is a prison none the less." When he was at the door, he turned to look at her "Set one pede outside…and you're mine!" With that he slammed the door shut

Jena looked around a bit frantically before she ran to the door and opened it in time to hear a guard say "Megatron's orders post a guard at every door."

Jena slammed the door shut before she sat down and brought her knees up to her chassis. She looked up to see Bumblebee standing nearby "Don't worry, Bumblebee. If Megatron thinks he can keep us here, he's wrong."

"Don't act so rashly, my child." Ultra Magus said while he was lighting a few candles "You created quite a distupence during the festival." He laughed slightly before turning to look at her with a serious expression "It would be unwise to arouse Megatron's anger even farther."

"You saw what he did out there," Jena started to say, standing up again "Letting the crowd torture that poor mech! I just thought if you person could stand up to him then…" Jena sort of trailed off then before letting out a sigh "What do they have against people who are different anyway?"

Ultra Magnus places a servo on Jena's shoulder and starts leading her to walk through the church "You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourself."

"Well, no one out there is going to help me that for sure."

"Well, then perhaps there is someone in here who can." With that, Ultra Magnus went off to continue his work

Jena stood there for a few moments looking at all the other bots kneeling at the pews praying. Jena turned to look at a statue of Primus and started to sing.

_I don't know if you can hear me_

_Or if you're even there_

_I don't know if you would listen to a gypsy prayer_

_Yes, I know I'm just an outcast_

_I shouldn't speak to you_

_Still I see your face and wonder_

_Where you once an outcast too?_

Back up in the bell tower, Bulkhead was still sulking over what happened at the festival when he suddenly heard a beautiful voice echo throughout the tower. Curious about whom it was, he decided to go downstairs and check.

Meanwhile back downstairs, Jena started to walk down through a line of light candles as she continued to sing.

_Primus, help the outcasts_

_Hungry from birth_

_Show them the mercy _

_They don't find on earth_

_Primus, help my people _

_They look to you still_

_Primus, help the outcasts_

_Or nobody will_

Bulkhead eventually made his way downstairs and looked over a ledge to see down below Jena walking past some other bots as they started to sing.

_I ask for wealth_

_I ask for fame_

_I ask for glory to shine on my name_

_I ask for love, I can't possess_

_I ask for Primus and his people to bless me_

Jena had leaned against a wall, listening to all those prayers, till she started to sing again.

_I ask for nothing_

_I can get by_

Bulkhead continued to follow the sound of Jena's voice till he found her heading towards the light coming from the large stained glass window.

_But I know so many_

_Less lucky then I_

_Please help my people_

_The poor and down trod_

_I thought we all were_

_Children of Primus_

_Primus, help the outcasts_

_Children of…Primus_

Jena held out the last note while standing in the middle of where the rose colored light was shining through the window and onto the floor. When she was done she just stood there till she felt something nudge her servo. She looked down to see Bumblebee so she dropped to her knees and hugged him.

Bulkhead just smiles as he continues to watch Jena, till…

"You bell ringer! What are you doing down here?" Asked one of the churchgoers as he stood up from his pew. Bulkhead stumbled backwards and accidently knocks over one of the candle stands causing it to fall to the ground and Jena turned around at the sound of the loud noise. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

Bulkhead started to run through the door to get back to the bell tower.

"Wait!" Jena called out, running to catch up with him. She got to the doorway in time to see Bulkhead running up the spiral staircase "I-I liked to talk to you!" But seeing the green mech continue to run away from her, Jena was left with no other choice but to follow him up the stairs and into the bell tower.


End file.
